King County does not impose a hosted-only rule for short-term rentals in unincorporated areas. Hosts may rent entire dwellings without being on-site, subject to King County Code and Washington state STR transparency requirements under RCW 64.37.
Unincorporated King County permits whole-home short-term rentals; the host need not occupy the property during guest stays. Cities within the county set their own rules: Seattle requires a primary-residence operator's license tied to either the host's primary home or one additional unit, while Bellevue, Kent, and Redmond have lighter regimes. Statewide, RCW 64.37 requires every operator (hosted or unhosted) to maintain $1 million liability coverage and post a 24-hour contact. King County Sheriff responds to nuisance calls in unincorporated zones; chronic nuisance code applies if multiple verified complaints arise within a year.
Operating an unhosted STR is legal in unincorporated King County, but failure to provide 24-hour contact information or maintain insurance under RCW 64.37 may trigger state enforcement and platform delisting.
Redmond, WA
Redmond does not ban gas leaf blowers, but restricts their use to daytime hours under RMC 6.32. Residential yard equipment is permitted between 7 AM and 10 P...
Redmond, WA
Industrial-source noise received in Redmond residential areas may not exceed 60 dBA daytime and 50 dBA nighttime under RMC 6.32 and WAC 173-60. Overlake and ...
Redmond, WA
Redmond generally allows overnight residential street parking within the 72-hour continuous-parking limit. Downtown time zones, snow events, and posted no-pa...
Redmond, WA
Redmond restricts on-street RV and boat parking to 72 hours and regulates driveway storage under RMC Title 21. Many zones limit the number of recreational ve...
Redmond, WA
Redmond regulates driveway width, surfacing, and apron construction under RMC Title 21 and Public Works standards. Residential driveways are typically 10-24 ...
Redmond, WA
Standard residential fences up to 6 feet in side and rear yards and 4 feet in front yards do not require a building permit in Redmond. Permits are needed for...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in King County.
See how Redmond's host presence rule rules stack up against other locations.
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